Outsourced Muckraking

I’m no fan of Sarah Palin, but why in heavens name would anyone with a life want to pour through thousands (they say there are 24,000 pages of them, released earlier today) of her e-mails at this point? And do this for no money? Last I heard, the woman was not a candidate for anything. If there’s a purpose to scouring her e-mail records, it’s clear that it’s to dig up dirt that’s good enough for pundits to pounce on and salivate over. Everyone’s got their knives sharpened, ready to carve up and deliver Palin slip-ups in intellectual acumen, grammar, ethics, taste, mothering, reliance on Todd, efficiency in handling state money to buy personal tanning machines, or whatever.

Back when media companies could afford something called “reporters,” they used to have to sift through this kind of stuff. No longer. With publications now having slashed huge chunks of their reporting staff, they’re reduced to coyly inviting readers to form a new class of reporter—unpaid citizen sleuth, working for the thrill of the 15 minutes of fame that comes from digging up the dirtiest dirt. In short, news organizations are covering up how broke they are by having regular folk do their work for them.

Here’s the invitation from the Huffington Post (The New York Times and The Washington Post make a similar request):

The Huffington Post needs your help sorting through the documents. Please read over these emails and tell us what you find. See anything interesting on Todd Palin? Sarah’s vice presidential run? Something entirely new? Tell us about anything notable you find here or email us at palinemails@huffingtonpost.com. (Be sure to let us know the page number.)

I have no doubt there’s some juicy stuff in all those emails. Take 24,000 pages of anyone’s emails and you’ll find something bad. Me, I know a sucker’s game when I see one. I think I’ll steer clear of all this until someone without a life does the work for me.